Fixing Salinity Levels in Florida Bay
Everglades restoration restores more natural flows into and through the Everglades. The seagrass meadows of Florida Bay make up the largest continuous seagrass bed on Earth. Along with the mangrove forests lining the coast, these seagrass meadows are the reason Florida Bay can support such a great diversity and quantity of life. Every time Florida Bay experiences an extreme hypersalinity event, seagrass dies. Most of the issues in Florida Bay are tied to out-of-balance salinity.
Everglades restoration is working to prevent high salinity and protect seagrass by restoring freshwater flow into the Everglades. Right now, we are experiencing more balanced salinity levels in the eastern and central portions of Florida Bay where we have focused a majority of our efforts. In the four years since the Combined Operational Plan was implemented, water flow increased into Everglades National Park during the dry season, a time when the park often receives little freshwater.
Adequate freshwater inflow from the Everglades is important to maintaining a delicate-yet-critical salinity balance in Florida Bay, which safeguards the health of vital seagrasses. The result of this additional freshwater helped prevent hypersalinity events.